[ Journals ] 10

　　Can trees talk? Yes—but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree attacked in the woods by caterpillars changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so awful that the caterpillars got disgusted and stopped eating them. Then, even more astonishing, the tree sent out special vapors—an alarm signal stimulating its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.
　　Communication, of course, doesn’t need to be in words. We can talk to each other by a smile, a frown, a shrug of our shoulders, a gesture with our hands. We know that birds use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar for honey. So, why shouldn’t trees have ways of sending messages.


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I. Summarize

　　Trees can talk—in their ways. For example, scientists learned that a willow tree protected itself by changing the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste awful that caterpillars would stop eating them. And there’s another thing more amazing that the tree sent out special vapors as an alarm signal stimulating its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and made them less tasty.
　　And there are much more ways to communication between human beings and animals. We can talk to each other by gestures and facial impressions. Animals, like birds, use a whole vocabulary of singing and dancing. So, it doesn’t matter that trees use what kind of way to “talk.”


II. Vocabulary words and phrases

i. new words/phrases
astonishing adj. 令人驚訝的
vapor noun 水蒸氣
stimulating 有刺激性的
nectar noun 花蜜

ii. useful words / phrases
attack verb 侵害
frown noun 皺眉; 蹙眉
pattern noun 模範; 式樣


III. The reason I chose this article

　　I found this article was interesting so I pick it up. We can see trees and animals talk in the movies and animations, but how can they talk like human beings? The answer is that they actually talks, but not in words, in their own ways!

[ Journals ] 9 An Ancient Disaster

　　For more than six hundred years, Pompeii was an important city in the Roman Empire. Located on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, Pompeii was a favorite spot for wealthy Romans to build their country villas. The city was busy and prosperous, and the streets were lined with shops, houses, and temples. Citizens had use of an open-air theater and public baths. But this dream city had one flaw. Pompeii sat at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.
　　In A.D. 79, on the morning of August 24, Vesuvius erupted violently. Fire and ash filled the sky and buried the beautiful city. When Vesuvius finally settled down, Pompeii lay buried under pumice nearly ten feet thick. The volcano so changed the area that spot where Pompeii, a port city, once stood either from falling rock and collapsing or from the volcano’s poisonous fumes.
The great city of Pompeii had disappeared.
　　So it was a great surprise when, in the 1700s, a peasant discovered some statues buried in his vineyard. When people began to dig further, they unearthed the houses, food, and even the bodies of some of the citizens of the once-bustling Pompeii. The city had been covered so quickly that everything in it seemed to be frozen in time.


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I. Summarize

　　About six hundred years ago, Pompeii was an important city in the Roman Empire. Pompeii located on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy. The city was busy and prosperous, wealthy Romans like to buid their country villas here. But this dream city sat at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.
　　One day morning, Vesuvius erupted. Fire and ash soon filled the sky and buried the beautiful city. The great city of Pompeii had disappeared. It took a long time before a peasant found something in his vineyard and began to dig futher.


II. Vocabulary words and phrases

i. new words/phrases
flaw n. 最愛的
erupt v. 爆發
pumice n. 火山岩
peasant n. 農夫
vineyard n. 葡萄園
unearth v. 挖出
bustling adj. 繁忙的

ii. useful words/ phrases
be lined with 佈滿了


III. The reason I chose this article

　　I think most of people have heard about this once-bustling city. Since I am interested in mystery, I've got interested in it. It is fun by seeing some exhibition about Pompeii, and read something about it.

[ Journals ] 8 Another Look at Spider

　　A good many people hate spiders. Few consider that spiders are intelligent, inventive, and good friends to people.
　　Spiders have highly developed nervous systems. Their brains capable of remembering, and they are remarkable engineers. They can be found living anywhere from 22,000 feet above sea level, on Mount Everest, to 2,000 feet below he earth’s surface, in caves.
　　The silk that spiders spin for their webs has a strength superior to most flexible products made by humans. These webs have been known to entangle and hold animals as large as mice. The bola spider, instead of making a web, constructs a globule of sticky silk to the trapeze and casts ot out at passing insects. Any insect that gets stuck to the swinging ball becomes the spider’s next meal.
　　One Eurasian species of spider actually travels underwater by carrying a tiny bubble of air with it. Its home is cozy diving bell.
　　Many scientists feel that without the spider, human life would be in danger. This is because most if a spider’s energies are devoted to catching and eating insects. Without spiders, insects would multiply and cover the earth, destroying the vegetation. One estimate says that each year spiders in England destroy a number of insects equal in weight to the human population of that country!


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I. Summarize

　　So many people hate spiders. Because they don't think spiders are intelligent and inventive creatures, and even good friends to people. In fact, spiders' brains are capable of remembering, and they are remarkable engineers. The silk that spiders spin for their webs has an extremely stretching strength than most flexible products made by humans! These webs entangle living things from insects to animals as large as mice.
　　And many scients feel that human life would be in danger if there's no spiders in the world. One estimate says that each year spiders in England detroy a number og insects equl in weight to the human population of that country! Without spiders, our lifes would be full of insects!


II. Vocabulary words and phrases

i. new words/phrases
entangle v. 纏繞
a globule of 一小滴

ii. useful words / phrases
a good many 很多
inventive adj. 有創意的
highly developed 完善的

III. The reason I chose this article

　　Many people hate spiders. I don’t like them, either, but I think the shape of them is beautiful. I found it’s surprising that spiders are intelligent and inventive after I read this article. And it sounds horrible if we don't have spiders in the world. But I still don't think they are good friends to me.

[ Journals ] 7 Insects for Dinner

　　Most Americans seem to crave variety in their diets, judging by the popularity of foreign restaurants. But though many people would be willing to sample a curry dish from India, a real Hungarian goulash, or even Japanese sushi, very few would want to indulge in a kind of food that is poplar in many countries: insects.
　　Eating insects actually is eminently sensible. There are certainly enough of them around, and though most are too small to bother with, many grow to a respectable size or live in dense groups that can be easily harvested. They are very nutritious: after all, many birds and mammal ingest diets consisting of nothing but insect. And since insects contain a fair amount of salt, they are already well seasoned. Indeed, in those countries where insects are eaten, they are usually considered great delicious. The goliath beetle is a prize catch in Africa; caterpillars are a popular dish in Mexico, where they are fried and served under the name of “agave worms”; and chocolate covered bees and ants are favorite candies in Switzerland.
　　It is unlikely that canned grasshoppers will become popular in America in the near future, but who knows? Perhaps in years to come people will rid themselves of their prejudice against insects and will find themselves going out to dig for grubs as eagerly as others now go out to gather mushrooms.


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I. Summarize

　　Most Americans seem to crave variety in their diets, judging by the popularity of foreign restaurants. But very few would want to indulge in a kind of food that is poplar in many countries: insects.
　　Actually, eating insects actually is eminently sensible. They are very nutritious, and there are certainly enough of them around. Indeed, in those countries where insects are eaten, they are usually considered great delicious.
　　Though it still can't imagine that eating insects will be popular in the near feture, there are many people and animals eat insects to ingest nutritious.


II. Vocabulary words and phrases

i. new words/phrases
crave v. 渴望
indulge in 醉心於
eminently adv. 非常、完全地
grasshopper n. 蚱蜢
grub n. 蛆
ingest v. 吃

ii. useful words / phrases
prejudice n. 偏見
sample v. 嘗試
consist of 由…組成
seasoned adv. 調過味的
nutritious adv. 營養的


III. The reason I chose this article

　　I don’t like insects. It’s strange, because when I was little, I used to have fun with insects like grasshoppers and beetles, but when I got older, I didn’t do it anymore. I don’t know why; maybe it’s because that once I played in my grandma’s front yard, but unfortunately, I was bit by a big ant. I can remember that I wore a pair of sandals, not sneakers, and suddenly I was bit by a big black ant. I’m not really sure if I step in a formicary or not. It was so hurt and I got panic. Since then, I seldom walk in grass if I don’t wear a pair of shoes that can wrap my feet.

[ Journals ] 6 Dir En Grey: Marrow Of The Bone

By Mick Stingley, ContributorSunday, February 25, 2007 @ 6:02 AM

　　It's practically impossible to categorize this band as they move effortlessly from song to song; changing styles from brooding rock to screaming metal, high-energy punk, industrial, pop and so on (that they don't have a reggae song is almost a letdown.) One thing that is certain about Dir En Grey: it is a Japanese band.
　　Dir En Grey has been around for ten years and enjoys an incredible cult following: but this crazy five piece hard rock band only played its first show in the United States last year.
　　When Dir En Grey was booked to play the Roxy in LA, the sold out so fast, the promoter moved it to the Wiltern and that show sold out in twenty minutes. Their NYC show at Avalon sold-out in fifteen minutes. These guys didn't have a record deal or distribution in the US at the time.
In 2006, they toured as part of Korn's Family Values package... and in about a year's time, Dir En Grey has put out one full record and one EP. And now, less than a year after its American debut, Dir En Grey has a new album and has been selling out venues on the "Inward Scream" American club tour. Pretty impressive for a band that doesn't even sing in English.
　　Dir En Grey is defiantly Japanese and perhaps this strengthens its appeal, they're certainly unlike most bands out there. It can be quite appealing, though equally frustrating for anyone who hasn't been blown away by the Dir En Grey stage show. Singer Kyo howls and bleats and moans and screams, whispers and talks... and as compelling as the music is, there are more than a few times where one might be inclined to shout, "What the hell is he saying?"
　　But the music is addictive and that's as good a place as any to start with Dir En Grey. Their sound has the density of Slipknot and Hatebreed, but is often layered with guitars and effects which give Dir En Grey a raw, punk/industrial edge. As is their wont, they can't be pigeonholed. (This band is way more than just "the new Loudness.")
　　Among the highlights on Marrow Of The Bone: "Lie Buried With Vengeance," the second song on "Marrow" is a heavy rocker which clips along like Pantera remixed by Nine Inch Nails; "The Fatal Believer" stands out for its killer guitar riff; the excellent "Agitated Screams of Maggots" could be a Dope song if Dope was trying to be Trivium. "Track 9" (the title is in Japanese) has the band displaying its moodier, slow side, and much of the song is warm and melodic, with jangling acoustic guitars and some jazzy drums; and the album closes with three very heavy metallic rockers: "Repetition of Hatred;" "The Deeper Vileness" and "Clever Sleazoid."
　　Dir En Grey has come a long way in its short time here in America; they're crazy, but it's a good kind of crazy. Let's see where that takes them in another year or so...


http://www.myspace.com/officialdirengreywww.direngrey.co.jp


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I. Summarize

　　The Marrow Of A Bone, the sixth album from Dir En grey. Dir En Grey has been around for ten years and enjoys an incredible cult following. This Japanese band but has attracted legions of American fans with their passionate brand of heavy music and their electric live shows. After they started their career in Europe in May 2005, Dir en grey played shows at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Festival, they played many headliner shows in Europe and toured together with Korn and Deftones through the USA in 2006.
　　It's The band’s lyrics are almost all in their native Japanese, and their music is heavy, yet very emotional and sometimes very melodic. The vocal, Kyo, howls and bleats and moans and screams, whispers and talks during the show you might get confuse and want to ask, "What the hell is he saying?" But the music is addictive and that's as good a place as any to start with Dir En Grey.


II. Vocabulary words and phrases

i. new words/phrases
cult
effortlessly
reggae
incline
compelling

ii. useful words / phrases
appeal
raw


III. The reason I chose this article

　　I introduce this album on another class, and because this is one of my favrorite band and one of my favorite album, so I decided to write something about it. I started to listen their music since I was 15. At first I don't like their music so much, and even think their singer doesn't sing well (and it was ture). But after I went to their concert when I was 16, I started to get addict with them. This year is their 11th year since their band work started. I just want to say congratulations, and I will keep loving their music.